Add-Ons For My Camera

[Canon PowerShot A540]

Hello I'm Completely New To Photography So I Figured Why Not Find A Good Message Board Or Two To Get Some Help. My Camera If You Haven't Already Figured Out Is A Canon PowerShot A540.:D According To A Review Found Here
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a540-review/
It Told Me I Can Buy A Telephoto lens For $90.00 The Model Number They Gave Was TC-DC52A. It Said It Had A Max Of 245mm Which Is How Much Optical Zoom? A Friend Said It Was Either 6.8 Or 7x Optical Zoom. If Someone Can Tell Me Where I Can Get The Lens At That Price Please Tell.:D

[BowerR64]

Its a 1.75X telephoto adapter, you add it on using the lens and an adapter tube. So you need 2 parts.

Since the A540 is 4X when you add the 1.7X you just multiply 4X1.75 wich gives you a total of 7X zoom so if you need more zoom adding the adapter will give your camera a 7X total zoom if that makes sence. That might be 245mm but im not sure.

[Canon PowerShot A540]

How Many Feet Are In 7x Zoom?:confused: How Many Feet Are In 7x Zoom?:confused: I Hope That There Are At Least 50 Feet. I Want To Shoot Photos Of The Local Bear,Hawk,Pileated Wood Pecker,Deer, Wild Turkey,Foxes,Racoons And Other Animals And I Can't Get To Close To Them Especially The Bear. That Would Just Be Crazy And Dangerous.

[BowerR64]

I think it just means 7X closer then the full wide end.

[Canon PowerShot A540]

Okay Now I'm Completely Lost. Which Optical Lens Will Give Me More Zoom? :confused: This One?-Telephoto lens For $90.00 Model#TC-DC52A Boosts focal range by 1.75X to 245 mm; requires conversion len adapter Or This One?-Titanium Series 3X Super Telephoto Lens Mfg Part #: tokina3652t/58 For $98.00? Thank You For Your Help.

[Sintares]

Get a proper tcon from a good maker.

Those cheap tcons for digicams with exteme magnifications x3 etc from Opteka, Tokina, Digical Optics etc, are basically rubbish especially when compared to quality tcons.

If you don't care about the quality just want the extra reach get the x3 tokina tcon.

It may compromise the quality of the pictures, make them very soft, introduce blur and more color fringing plus distortions etc, but if reach is all you care about, go for it.

When a camera or a lens for a camera is said to be x4 that is a simple ratio between the minimum focal length and the maximum.

As the A540 is 35mm-140mm that gives you 140/35 = x4

The x4 does not refer to magnification in the way you might be familiar with, with for example binoculars.

Indeed x4 refers to any lens with the same ratio, eg a 20mm-80mm lens is also x4, as is 100mm-400mm

The tcon acts as a magnifier and takes the long end of your camera from 140mm all the way to 420mm

Quite a good reach for a little camera.